


i'm your broken doll

by starshipaurora



Series: soldier toys, bereft of life [2]
Category: Dr. Carmilla (Musician), The Mechanisms (Band)
Genre: Character Study, Dr Carmilla isnt a terrible abusive parent actually., Gen, Injury, Jonny d'Ville and Nastya Rasputina and The Toy Soldier are Siblings, Jonny d'Ville and Nastya Rasputina are Siblings, Mom Dr Carmilla, Swordfighting, Swords, Toy Soldier Typical "I'm not real!" feelings, but like fun and lighthearted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 07:27:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28702899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starshipaurora/pseuds/starshipaurora
Summary: “I suppose I need to brush up on swords, then!” it says cheerfully. The now-exposed ball joint at its shoulder wiggles around a bit, moving the cut fabric of its uniform.
Relationships: Dr Carmilla & The Toy Soldier (The Mechanisms), Jonny d'Ville & Nastya Rasputina, Jonny d'Ville & Nastya Rasputina & The Toy Soldier
Series: soldier toys, bereft of life [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2162376
Comments: 9
Kudos: 61





	i'm your broken doll

**Author's Note:**

> a little thing i wrote in like half an hour. featuring mom carmilla because we need more mom carmilla. shes not perfect but shes not super terrible like some fics depict her as either.
> 
> this might be a series of some kind eventually because i have a lot of thoughts on how ts' regeneration works. the ending was left a little ambiguous on purpose...  
> also dont ask me where this is in the timeline bc i have no clue either, pal

The first time the Toy Soldier has a major injury— well, not an injury, toys cannot be hurt, after all— in front of the crew is during a swordfight with Dr. Carmilla.

“En garde!” Jonny yells from his position draping over the couch.

“You don’t even know what that means,” Carmilla says, throwing an exasperated glance at him over her shoulder. Nastya snorts.

“This isn’t fencing, old chap!” the Toy Soldier pipes up, standing stock-still with a sword held tight in its grip.

“This is just old-fashioned sword practice,” Carmilla says smoothly, and draws her cane like a sword. Jonny makes a  _ huh? _ noise. She clicks a button and the wood retracts, giving way to a long blade. Jonny whoops.

“Very clever!” the Toy Soldier admits. “But I’m afraid I have specialized training in swordsmanship, my dear Doctor!”

“Let’s see you in action then, Soldier.” She gives it a raised-eyebrow look that might have send a chill down its spine if it were alive.

Without warning, she goes for its left leg, but of course it was prepared for that. So it steps to the side and feints a jab at her chest before nicking her bicep.

“Hm. Well done,” Carmilla muses. She goes for its leg again and it dodges once more. But too quick for the Toy Soldier to process, she slices its non-metal arm off at the shoulder joint, sending it and the sword flying across the room.

It stumbles a bit, but doesn’t fall. Jonny and Nastya are completely still with shock, but Carmilla simply sheathes the cane-sword and crosses her arms.

“I suppose I need to brush up on swords, then!” it says cheerfully. The now-exposed ball joint at its shoulder wiggles around a bit, moving the cut fabric of its uniform.

“That doesn’t—” Nastya starts. “Are you hurt?”

“Not at all, my dear!” it reassures her. It gives a salute and bends down next to the broken arm. With its metal hand, it holds the arm up to its shoulder and stops moving completely.

Carmilla sits down on the couch and picks up a book. Jonny looks from her to the Toy Soldier with furrowed eyebrows.

“Toy Soldier...?” he says.

“Yes?” it replies, eyes sliding in their sockets to look at him.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m regenerating, old chap! It takes a while sometimes, so I must stand very still or I’ll grow back limbs in all the wrong places!” it says.

“How long is a while?” Nastya questions.

“That depends! This should only take a few minutes, as I’m simply reconnecting my parts. But if an entire piece is completely missing I must concentrate very hard or I’ll end up a right mess.”

“Our mechanisms do that for us automatically,” Jonny says.

“Well, that’s different, you see! You’re alive, but I’m just a Toy, and toy parts don’t work on their own. I’m lucky I was made with clockwork! I knew a chap who had to be wound up every time he wanted to move.” It looks down at the floor, getting a reminiscent lilt to its voice. “He didn’t speak very often. But then the Old Woman gave him away. It was a shame. I rather liked him, even if he didn’t do much.”

There’s silence for a few minutes, save for Carmilla turning pages and Aurora’s ever-present hums. Jonny and Nastya stare at each other.

“Splendid!” the Toy Soldier breaks the silence, making Nastya jump. It spreads its newly-fixed fingers out and flexes its hand. Then it picks at the ripped seam of its jacket and makes a displeased noise. “I suppose I should fix that. Well! I’m off to the sewing room, old chaps!”

“Wait, Toy Soldier, I—” Nastya reaches out a hand, but it flops back on her lap as the Toy Soldier leaves the room without hearing her. She looks to Carmilla, who’s reading with an aura of I Know Something You Don’t.

“Stop staring at me, Nastya,” she says without looking up. “I didn’t make it. Whatever you two are wondering, you’ll have to ask it yourselves.”

Jonny grabs Nastya’s hand, but neither of them stand up. Carmilla turns another page, and Aurora sings as the Toy Soldier’s trembling wooden hand repairs a uniform.


End file.
